What the Pharisees Missed!



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Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Today the Pharisees continue to look for new ways to discredit Jesus' ministry.  Their paranoia is reaching new heights.  Jewish Sabbath laws were originally intended for the people to have rest from work and time to worship God and rejuvenate their physical and spiritual lives.  The Sabbath was a way for people to trust God to provide for them in their livelihood, while they "re-created" themselves.   
But by this time the Pharisees had attached so many do's and don'ts to the Sabbath that they had completely missed the point.  We see the insanity in today's lesson when a man with a deformed hand shows up in the synagogue.  The Pharisees were lying in the wait to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath to accuse him of being a lawbreaker.  They were completely oblivious to man in their midst that needed a Sabbath from his disease.  The telltale moment comes when Jesus heals the man's hand and it is completely restored.  Instead of rejoicing with the man for God's healing him through Jesus they look for a way to kill Jesus.  
While this story seems ludicrous I wonder how we can miss the point of God's laws. Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath."  Meaning God gave the Sabbath to give us life not take it away.  The Pharisees used the Law to protect and preserve their power and authority.  When Jesus showed them the intent of the Law was to free people from sin and sickness, they grew indignant.  At the root of their sin was pride.  They used the authority God had given them to prop themselves up and keep the people down.  The moment we use our power and authority pridefully we have become like the Pharisees.  The minute our ministry becomes more about us so that we miss the people right in front of us we have become like the Pharisees.    
Let's not be like the Pharisees.  Let's not be so focused on the Law that we forget grace.  Let's not get so caught up in self that we miss out on what Jesus can and is doing right in front of us.

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